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SVRI Policy & Advocacy

Translating robust research evidence into policy change and advocacy action to create a world free from violence against women and children.

Policy Advocacy

SVRI Policy Impact

50+
Policy Briefs Published
Evidence-based recommendations for policymakers
25+
Countries with Policy Change
SVRI research influenced legislation or policy
100+
Policy Engagements
Annual meetings with governments and UN bodies
15+
Global Frameworks
International agreements influenced by SVRI evidence

Global Policy Frameworks & Contributions

UN Sustainable Development Goals

SVRI research provides critical evidence for achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and other related targets.

SVRI Contributions to SDGs:

  • SDG 5.2: Eliminate violence against women and girls
  • SDG 16.1: Reduce violence everywhere
  • SDG 16.2: End abuse and violence against children
  • Indicator development for violence measurement
→ SDG 5 Progress

WHO Global Action Plan

Co-development of WHO's global action plan on strengthening the health system response to violence.

Key Policy Areas:

  • Health sector response guidelines
  • Training protocols for healthcare workers
  • Surveillance and monitoring systems
  • Multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms
→ WHO Action Plan

Generation Equality Action Coalitions

Research evidence supporting the Gender-Based Violence Action Coalition and other priority areas.

SVRI Evidence for:

  • Prevention strategies and investments
  • Survivor-centered responses
  • Data and accountability mechanisms
  • Feminist movements and leadership
→ Generation Equality

Regional Policy Influence

African Union Agenda 2063

Supporting the AU's aspirations for gender equality and violence prevention across Africa.

Maputo Protocol Implementation

Research evidence supporting implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

→ Policy Brief

SADC Model Law

Evidence-based input to the Southern African Development Community Model Law on Gender-Based Violence.

→ SADC Framework

Istanbul Convention (Europe)

Supporting European efforts to prevent and combat violence against women through evidence-based policy recommendations.

GREVIO Monitoring

Research evidence supporting the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence monitoring efforts.

Regional Policy

Belém do Pará Convention (Americas)

Evidence supporting implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women.

MESECVI Follow-up

Research contributions to the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism of the Belém do Pará Convention.

ASEAN Guidelines (Asia)

Supporting Southeast Asian policy development through localized research evidence and capacity building.

ACWC Collaboration

Working with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children.

SVRI Policy Briefs & Knowledge Products

Translating research findings into accessible, actionable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.

Economic Costs of Violence

Evidence on the economic burden of violence against women and cost-effective prevention strategies.

→ Read Brief

School-Based Prevention

Policy recommendations for implementing violence prevention programs in educational settings.

→ Education Policy

Healthcare Response

Guidelines for strengthening health sector responses to gender-based violence.

→ Health Policy

Legal and Justice Systems

Evidence-based recommendations for legal reforms and justice sector responses.

→ Justice Policy

Digital Violence Prevention

Policy frameworks for addressing online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

→ Digital Policy

Climate Change & GBV

Emerging policy considerations for addressing violence in the context of climate change.

→ Climate Policy

SVRI Advocacy Campaigns

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

Annual global campaign mobilizing evidence and action to end violence against women and children.

SVRI's 16 Days Activities:

  • Evidence Campaign: Daily research findings and policy recommendations
  • Global Webinars: Knowledge sharing across regions
  • Policy Advocacy: Engaging governments and international bodies
  • Media Engagement: Research-based media interviews and op-eds
  • Network Mobilization: Coordinated action across 8,000+ members

2023 Theme: "UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls"

Impact: 500+ social media posts, 50+ media mentions, 25+ policy engagements

Join 16 Days Campaign
16 Days Campaign

Research to Action Campaign

Year-round advocacy for increased investment in violence prevention research and evidence-based programming.

→ Join Campaign

Data for Action Initiative

Advocating for improved data collection and monitoring systems for violence against women and children.

→ Data Initiative

Global South Research Leadership

Advocating for increased research funding and leadership opportunities in low- and middle-income countries.

→ Leadership Initiative

Policy Engagement & Partnerships

Government Partnerships

Direct engagement with governments to translate research into national policies and programs.

Active Government Partnerships:

  • South Africa: National Strategic Plan on GBV
  • Kenya: National Action Plan on Violence Against Children
  • Rwanda: National Gender Policy development
  • Uganda: Domestic Violence Act implementation
  • Ghana: Violence prevention programming
→ Government Work

UN System Engagement

Collaborative work with UN agencies to advance evidence-based violence prevention globally.

Key UN Partnerships:

  • UN Women: Global Database on Violence Against Women
  • UNICEF: Violence Against Children data and programming
  • UNFPA: Sexual and reproductive health linkages
  • UNODC: Crime and justice sector responses
  • WHO: Health sector guidelines and frameworks
→ UN Collaboration

Civil Society Networks

Building coalitions with women's rights organizations and violence prevention advocates.

Key Networks:

  • Global Network of Women's Shelters
  • End Violence Against Children Partnership
  • MenEngage Global Alliance
  • Girls Not Brides Global Partnership
  • International Women's Health Coalition
→ Network Partnerships

Policy Success Stories

South Africa: National Strategic Plan

SVRI research evidence directly influenced South Africa's National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.

Impact: Evidence-based targets, monitoring frameworks, and prevention strategies integrated into national policy

Funding: R1.6 billion allocated for implementation

→ Case Study

Kenya: Violence Against Children Survey

SVRI technical support led to Kenya's first national Violence Against Children Survey and subsequent policy actions.

Result: National Action Plan on Violence Against Children developed

Scale: County-level implementation across all 47 counties

→ VACS Report

Global: RESPECT Women Framework

WHO-SVRI collaboration resulted in global adoption of evidence-based violence prevention framework.

Adoption: 50+ countries implementing RESPECT interventions

Reach: Millions of women and girls benefiting from evidence-based programs

→ RESPECT Framework

Join SVRI's Advocacy Efforts

Help translate research evidence into policy change and advocacy action in your country and globally.

Ways to Get Involved:

  • Policy Champions Program - Train to be a research-to-policy advocate
  • Evidence Ambassadors - Share research findings in your network
  • Media Training - Learn to communicate research to media
  • Government Engagement - Connect with policymakers in your country
  • Campaign Participation - Join global and regional campaigns
  • Policy Brief Authoring - Contribute to SVRI policy products
Advocacy Network

Policy Toolkit

Free resources for researchers to engage effectively with policymakers and media.

→ Download Toolkit

Advocacy Newsletter

Monthly updates on policy opportunities, campaign actions, and advocacy successes.

→ Subscribe

Rapid Response Network

Join our network for urgent policy moments requiring immediate evidence and action.

→ Join Network